Moving to Dewey Beach: Pros, Cons & What to Know

Moving to Dewey Beach means moving to a genuinely tiny, senior-skewed year-round beach town with a real, distinct nightlife identity -- a different character than family-oriented Rehoboth Beach just to the north.

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A real, distinct nightlife identity

Bottle & Cork (since 1936) and The Starboard (since 1960) anchor a real, current Coastal Highway bar-and-restaurant corridor, genuinely different from Rehoboth's family-oriented reputation (base record).

A tiny, senior-skewed year-round community

Dewey Beach's cited year-round population (328) is genuinely tiny, with a median age of 63.2 and ~39.3% of residents 65+ (base record).

A real, extreme seasonal swing

The town's effective population swells to a cited 30,000+ during peak summer, from a year-round base of approximately 350 (base record).

Sussex County's highest property tax rate

Dewey Beach's own cited effective property tax rate (2.97%) is described directly by Ownwell as the highest in Sussex County (base record).

Key takeaways

Dewey Beach's nightlife identity (Bottle & Cork, The Starboard) is genuinely distinct from Rehoboth Beach's family-oriented character.
The year-round population (328) is genuinely tiny, with a real, extreme summer swell to 30,000+.
Despite its nightlife identity, Dewey Beach's permanent resident base skews senior (median age 63.2).
Dewey Beach's property tax rate is cited as the highest in Sussex County.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.